SEN Information

At Ursuline Catholic Primary school we meet the needs of all pupils with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Disabilities (SEND). We believe that cheerful, included, confident and motivated children work harder and make better progress. In order to do this many steps are taken to support them through their learning journey.

Definition of SEN

‘A child or young person has SEN if they have a learning difficulty which calls for special educational provision to be made for them. A child of compulsory school age or a young person has a learning difficulty or disability if they:-

a) Have a significantly greater difficulty in learning than the majority of others of the same age, or

b) Have a disability which prevents or hinders them from making use of educational facilities of a kind generally provided for others of the same age in mainstream schools, or mainstream post 16 institutions.

A child under compulsory school age has special educational needs if they fall within the definition at (a) or (b) above or would do so if special educational provision was not made for them.’

The New Code of Practice 2014

Ursuline Catholic Primary School is an inclusive school that offers a range of provision to support children with communication and interaction, cognition and learning difficulties, social, mental and emotional health problems and sensory or physical needs. We tailor our support to individual need so we can maximise progress.

Information and Guidance

Who should I contact to discuss the concerns or needs of my child?

Class Teacher

You should speak to the class teacher first if you have concerns about your child’s progress. You may then be directed to the SENCO

The class teacher is responsible and accountable for providing quality first teaching including:-

High quality teaching which is differentiated to each child’s individual need

Adapting the learning environment to meet individual needs

Monitoring the progress of pupils and identifying, planning and delivery of any additional support/intervention

Updating Pupil Profiles and devising SEN Support Plans to prioritise and focus on the next steps required for individual children to make progress

Supporting the school to evaluate and develop their provision for pupils with SEN

To liaise closely with the school SENCO

School Nurse

Sharon Elder

Thornton Health Clinic 01512476354

Roles include:-

As a first point of contact in schools for parents who need health advice or information. This may involve assessing individual needs, offering care or referring on to other services.

Supporting children with ongoing or specific health needs in the school environment.

Initiating and supporting activities for promoting health across the school.

As part of the Sefton agreement Ursuline Catholic Primary School agrees to the minimum offer in terms of quality first teaching. Through this offer we will ensure that all pupils, regardless of need, will access good quality inclusive teaching and we will provide reasonable adjustments to accommodate learning differences.

As part of the quality first offer regular monitoring of progress takes place by class teachers, leadership team and senior leaders. Through this process we will be able to identify children who are not making the expected progress or who have needs that are affecting their ability to engage in learning activities. All of our teachers know how to differentiate work and make reasonable adjustments to the classroom environment according to individual needs.

The Graduated Approach

The process for implementing SEN support is arranged into four stages as outlined in the new Code of Practice and parents/guardians are kept fully informed.

Assess

When concerns arise, information is gathered from a variety of sources (teacher, pupil, parent, outside agencies) so we can develop an accurate picture of the pupils’ needs, attainment, projected targets, motivators and how they respond to teaching approaches.

Plan

After gathering information a support plan will be put together to outline the methods that will be used to achieve specific outcomes. Short-term targets are agreed which prioritise key areas of learning that are to be addressed and ways in which the progress will be measured. If external agencies are involved, their advice and recommendations are included in the support plan. Any actions agreed take in to account pupil’s strengths as well as their learning differences. In some cases additional resources may be allocated including teaching assistant support. This support is deployed to ensure the pupil makes progress and can engage in lessons and wider school activities and develop independent learning. When developing support plans as a school we are financially responsible for up to £6,000 of support we action for individual pupils.

Do

All SEN support plans are working documents and should be annotated to show progress towards targets and if needed adjustments will be made to the plan to determine success. It is the class teacher’s responsibility to manage the plan and the suggested actions. They are accountable for the outcomes and therefore should discuss with the SENCO if they feel the plan is not working, for whatever reason.

Review

All SEN support plans will be reviewed termly. In this review all targets will be evaluated and the views of the pupil and parent will be recorded. A further plan will then be devised, if required, to enable the pupil to achieve their next steps in learning. If a pupil has made sufficient progress the support plan will cease and the child will be closely monitored through their pupil profile. For children with more complex needs termly review meetings will be held with the class teacher, SENCO and any external agencies.

If your child is continuing to have significant difficulties after a period of intervention, further external expertise may be requested. An application for high needs top up funding may be made if the cost of support exceeds the £6,000 threshold that is the school’s responsibility. If a pupil is still not making progress despite having taken relevant and purposeful action over time, then parents or school can make an application to the local authority for an Education Health Care Assessment.

Curriculum and Teaching Methods

As part of the minimum quality first offer teachers are well skilled at adapting teaching to meet the diverse range of needs in each class. Daily planning takes into account individual pupil’s needs and requirements. Differentiation is approached in a range of ways to support access and ensure that all pupils can experience success and challenge in their learning. Teachers set different tasks for pupils of different abilities; allocate additional help and support to certain pupils in the class, set open ended tasks and allow pupil response at different levels and through alternative means of recording. This ensures that all pupils will access good quality inclusive teaching that accommodates learning differences. As a school we will regularly monitor this provision to ensure that it consistently meets the agreed standard. This is done through:-

Whole school provision mapping which is reviewed termly

Termly review of SEN Support Plans

Whole school pupil tracking

Analysis of intervention programmes and the overall effectiveness

Fisher Family Trust data analysis

One to one conferencing

Some teaching approaches will be particularly pertinent to individual pupils who have an identified SEN, but are currently making progress. In these circumstances the strategies used will be recorded on the pupil profile and it is expected that they are employed on a regular basis. For pupils on a SEN support plan strategies will be incorporated into their plan.

Interventions

Teaching assistants enhance the quality first teaching. At Ursuline steps are taken to ensure all pupils can access what is being taught. There may be times when specific individual support is required to ensure that a pupil can access the learning. Children may access individual or group support to target specific skills.

Examples of when pupils may have access to additional support:

Pre teaching opportunities

Small group sessions in and out of class

One to one sessions

Facilitating time out

Providing intimate care

Scripting/modelling behaviours

Support with tasks when differentiation is not appropriate

Preparation for change of lesson or activity

Chunking instructions

Support during unstructured times

Strategies/programmes to support Communication & Interaction

Recommendations and programmes provided by Speech and Language

Speaking & Listening groups

In class co-operative learning groups

Talk Partners

Active Listening

SALLEY Programme

Strategies/programmes to support Cognition & Learning

Reading Buddies

Reading Recovery

Successful Reading

Reciprocal Reading

Phonics to Spelling

Rapid Phonics

Foundation and Key Stage 1 setting for phonics

Active Literacy

Beat Dyslexia

Word Shark

Number Shark

Numicon

Maths Recovery

Overcoming Barriers

Additional guided group sessions

Memory Fix

Cogmed

Strategies/programmes to support Social, Mental & Emotional Health

Time to Talk

Socially Speaking

Friendship Formula

Kids Skills

Talkabout Programme

HeartMath

Yoga

Additional transition support

Time out

Strategies/programmes to support Sensory or Physical Needs

Specific programmes designed by physiotherapists

Specific programmes designed by occupational therapists

Fine/Gross motor skill programmes

Provision to facilitate /support access to the curriculum

Additional support from a Teaching Assistant

Use of Radio Aid

Differentiation or modification of resources including:-

Task planners

Coloured paper

Overlays

Writing Slope

Chair cushion

Pencil grips

Easy use scissors

Visual timetables

Word banks

Multi-sensory approaches to learning

Home diaries

Alternative methods of recording

Thinking time given

Time provided to process information

Co-operative learning strategies

Accessibility

Ursuline Catholic Primary School is a mainstream primary school on three levels. As a school we are happy to discuss any individual access requirements your child may have prior to starting. The facilities we have at present include:-

Ramps into the school

1 toilet adapted for disabled users

Wide opening doors in corridors

Hearing loop in school office and hall

Partnership with External Agencies and Staff Training

The school works with a number of external agencies to seek advice and support to ensure that the needs of all children are fully understood and met.

These include:

Sefton Special Educational Needs and Inclusion Service. As a school we have an assigned inclusion consultant who works with school to provide:

Transition can be a particularly anxious time for children and young people with SEN and we aim to provide as successful and smooth transition as possible.

When moving schools we will always contact the new schools SENCO and share information about the type of provision that is required to help your child achieve their learning goals. If appropriate, additional transition visits can be arranged for your child so they can experience their new school at different times of day. This will be arranged in liaison with the new school. All information we have on record will be passed up to the new school even if your child is no longer requiring SEN support.

When moving to a new class in the same school information sharing sessions will take place with the new class teacher. Regular opportunities will be provided in the summer term for your child to meet their new teacher and, if appropriate, transition work books will be completed.

In some cases multi-agency meetings may be arranged to create a more detailed transition plan.

Complaints Procedure

If you have concerns over your child's progress or wellbeing please come into school to discuss this matter in more detail.

Your child's class teacher is your initial point of contact to discuss any concerns.

If further advice or guidance is needed please contact the SENCO to discuss issues in more detail.

If problems continue, or you feel more advice is needed then an appointment with the school headteacher should be made.